The Walton Family Foundation is pleased to announce that water issues expert Ted Kowalski is joining the environment program team as senior program officer. Kowalski will lead the Colorado River basin initiative, which pursues innovative solutions to address the basin’s water quantity issues against a backdrop of ongoing drought, increasing demand for water and insufficient water management policies.
Utah's Escalante River is a place of respite for outfitter Nathan Waggoner. “It really recharges the soul to be out on the river and fishing," Nathan says. "It's a nice, calming place to be." Nathan's appreciation for the Escalante's natural beauty drives his concern about the environmental threat posed by the invasive Russian olive tree, which overtakes native riparian species and alters water flow and temperature on the river.
In just over 20 years, the global seafood sustainability movement has helped turn the tide against overfishing that has damaged or destroyed fisheries. Teresa Ish of the Walton Family Foundation explains how seafood companies that once paid little heed to sustainability are embracing the pressing need for fisheries reforms, recognizing they can’t sell fish if there are none to catch.
Bill Brandau has lived more than 30 years and raised his family on his ranch along the Gila River in southeastern Arizona. He is working with the Gila Watershed Partnership, and RiversEdge West to restore the river's riparian ecosystem and remove invasive species.
